Metamorphoses
by Rigel in the Rain
Summary: Alone and friendless for eleven years, Severus starts at a new school with pessimistic expectations, until Remus, an open, soft-spoken boy, befriends him. Follow the two as they fight impossible odds in their struggle to keep their new friendship together
1. Beginnings

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. 

Author's Notes: This is for my sister, Jade, who hates Sirius Black with a passion. (Good luck on your Vet Board exams!) Many thanks also to Lady Velvet for helping beta-read this chapter. Comments, suggestions (hell, even flames!) are much welcome.

**Metamorphoses**

**Chapter 1: Beginnings**

If primary school taught Severus anything, it was that his sole role in life was to be the unchosen one. Always the odd one without a study partner, the last to get drafted for teams, the little kid stuck at the back of the class without a seatmate.

But this, he had to admit, was too much.

"No, no, not that one either. Here, try this one," Mr. Ollivander said, handing Severus another wand.

Severus was getting frustrated. He could not remember how many wands this man had already made him try. He did not know what he was doing wrong -- he tried scrunching his face up and concentrating, ridding his mind of thought, holding his breath, even closing his eyes, but nothing seemed to work.

It did not help that the boy who came before him had found a match ("Oak and moonflower pollen. Eight and a half inches") on his first try. The boy did not look too happy with the wand he got, though. He only cast one distasteful glance at it before tucking it inside his robes reluctantly. Maybe he wished for one containing part of a dangerous magical creature; most boys did.

_I don't care if I get one containing goblin nail clippings_, _as long as I get a wand_. He sighed. He had already tried all the wands from the first and second batch, and the storekeeper had gone to the back to get more.

Severus fidgeted with his starched gray robes, balling random sections of coarse fabric in his fists. The shop where his mother dumped him into -- Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C. -- was dimly lit, hot, and, Severus thought, a little on the creepy side. Severus was more than a little apprehensive about being alone in such a forbidding place. Still, he was glad his mother was not here to witness his difficulty getting matched with a wand. (_Severus, dear_, she would say, pale-faced, mouth set in a thin line, flicking her hair to one side. Her eyes would narrow at him, as if willing him to sprout wings and breathe fire, or else transform into what she imagined her son should be.) 

_Being alone here is better, _Severus thought. _Infinitely better_.

"Would you like a chocolate?" said a soft voice from a corner of the wand shop.

Severus blinked, and turned to look. It was the small boy who just got his wand earlier. Severus had not realized that he had stayed. He sat on one of the high-backed spindly chairs, nicely blending in with his surroundings in threadbare green robes and scuffed brown leather boots almost worn off at each toe. One of his hands was held up, offering a bunch of three-for-a-knut chocolate Squeerrific Squares.

Severus did not move. Were the chocolates hexed? It was impossible to hex with training wands, however, and the boy did not have enough time to learn to cast spells with his new wand yet. Perhaps they were tainted with some potion? Severus already had some success brewing minor malicious draughts in secret, but he was quite sure other students his age could not do anything more than the simple cleaning mixtures they were taught in school.

"Here, have some," the boy encouraged, "they help me settle down, when I'm nervous."

_Oh what the hell_, Severus thought. The boy was eating the chocolates himself, so they were probably safe. Besides, Severus would feel much better having someone to talk to in this place. _Oh, admit it Severus_, he said to himself_, you're intrigued. Not many people will talk to you when they don't have to._

He approached the boy, allowing himself to smile a little, and took a cube from the boy's outstretched hand. "Thank you," he said.

Carefully tearing off the chocolate's flimsy wrapping, he peeked at the boy from the corner of his eye. The boy was ordinary -- rumpled light brown hair, brown eyes. He was not as small as Severus first thought, though. Actually, he was probably a few centimeters taller than Severus was. He only looked small because of his frail build and unassuming manner.

"I'm waiting here for my mum and dad. Is it your first year at Hogwarts, too?" the boy asked, and when Severus nodded, continued, "I'm so excited to see the castle in person. Say, did you get your books yet?"

"Yes." 

"_Hogwarts: A History_ has many good photographs of the castle grounds. I haven't seen anything more incredible! I can't wait to get there…"

"Er, I don't remember getting that book," Severus replied. Like the other boy, Severus had never been to Hogwarts, but he had not thought much about it. He was not excited about going. He did not like school, and would rather have private tutors, or study by himself. 

"Oh, it's not on the list. But it's really good! Loads of stuff about Hogwarts. Oh, and you know what, my parents didn't even think I'd get invited. Imagine how surprised I was when I got the letter," the boy said.

"I was surprised when I got mine, too," Severus lied. The truth was, everyone took it for granted that he would get into Hogwarts. His parents would have disowned him if he had not received an invitation. He wondered why the boy's parents thought he would not get in. _Maybe he's almost a Squib_, he thought, and mentally shook his head. Squibs do not get matched with wands that quickly.

"My name's Remus, by the way. Remus Lupin," the boy introduced, offering his right hand, the one without all the chocolates, for a handshake.  


"Severus Snape. Nice to meet you," Severus replied, wiping his hand on his robe before extending it to the other boy. 

"Would you look at that. We both have Dead Greek People names. Is it destiny, do you think?" Remus said.

"It's Roman, actually," Severus corrected him.

He never really understood why Remus almost fell off his chair laughing at what he said.

Just then, Mr. Ollivander came back with about a dozen dust-covered, cobwebby boxes. "Here we are," he said, taking his time to lay the boxes in a neat row on the countertop. 

Severus looked around, trying not to watch the storekeeper at his task. He was relieved to discover that he was breathing more easily now, and his hands were remaining unclenched at his sides. Amazingly, the shop seemed a little brighter, and not as scary. _Remus's light-heartedness must be contagious_, he thought. Severus hoped the boy's luck with the wands was catching as well. He would be the laughingstock of his class if he had to bring his old primary school training wand to Hogwarts.

"All right, then. These are some of our older stock," Mr. Ollivander explained, giving Severus his full attention once again. His eyes then went round as Quidditch hoops, as if he just had a great idea. "Let's see… Why don't YOU choose which one you want to try first," he suggested, nodding encouragingly at Severus.

Severus considered the boxes, and pointed at the leftmost one_. Better go about this methodically_, he thought, _I'd probably go through all these wands anyway_.

The storekeeper opened the box and handed him the wand inside. "Now, give it a wave," he prodded.

Severus glanced at Remus, who gave him a confident smile and a nod. He took the wand, and almost dropped it in surprise. It was hot! Before he can do anything, a sudden burst from the tip covered the whole room with a rain of tiny multicolored lights.

"Extraordinary," Mr. Ollivander said, looking intently at Severus, who found himself staring, mesmerized, as the tiny orbs slowly blinked out one by one. "Mahogany and Wishing-Well water. Ten and a quarter inches. Sturdy, excellent for Potions work."

Severus let the man's voice wash over him as he studied his wand, reveling at the warmth its smooth surface radiated onto his hands. He held it close to his chest, and felt the wand vibrate in time with his heartbeat. "I'll take care of you very well," he whispered to it. He thought he felt the wand welcoming him.

Mr. Ollivander had rambled on; "...Only that one wand has ever held the great power of the magic water without getting destroyed by it. And, now that the Wishing Well has dried out, it is the only one that ever will. Quite thrilling, too, that it has only now found a compatible wizard, after more than 300 years of waiting."

"Indeed, Ollivander?" a familiar silky voice cut in, "Everyone knows how special the Snapes are. Did you really expect my dear Severus to be any different?"

Mr. Ollivander lifted his head and beamed at the new arrival. "Your son has potential, Madame Madeleine," he said, straightening his glasses on his nose, and finger-brushing his hopelessly-tangled gray hair. 

The woman smiled, her slightly pointed nose angled to the ceiling, head somewhat tilted to the side, apparently appeased. She nodded once at the storekeeper, before setting her deep black eyes on her son. "Severus, dear, are you ready to go? We need to pick up your school robes." 

"Just a minute, Mother," Severus replied. He left her at the counter paying Mr. Ollivander for his wand, and walked over to Remus.

"Hey, you sort of look like your mum. She's very pretty," Remus said.

Severus shrugged and glanced briefly at his mother, hoping she had not heard. She was in a strangely good mood (probably because of the wand), which was rare for her. Severus was glad her attention was focused on the storekeeper when Remus made the observation. Talk about her son taking after her always made her irritable, which, Severus believed, was perfectly understandable. Where his mother's night-dark hair was like black silk, Severus's was dull and oily; his mother's slightly pointed nose looked like a hawk's beak on Severus's small face; and while her pale skin seemed to glow like soft moonlight, on Severus it only seemed the sallow color of flesh on dead fish.

"Er, I have to go. Thanks for the chocolates," he said to Remus. He shuffled his feet. He should say something more; he did not want to leave just yet. He could ask Remus to go with them to Madam Malkin's, but he was sure his mother would not approve. She did not have much patience with children. Even Severus himself knew he was only barely tolerated.

"Don't worry. I'll see you at the train station tomorrow, right?" Remus said.

"Yes, of course," Severus replied, surprised that the boy could read him so well.

"Right on!" Remus exclaimed, giving Severus two thumbs-up signs.

"Hurry up, dear, or we'll be late," Severus heard his mother call out.

"Yes, Mother," he answered, smiling apologetically at Remus before slowly following his mother out of the shop.

Dragging his feet, Severus shot one backward glance at Ollivander's. Through the window, he could see Remus waving happily at him. He waved back and gave the other boy a small grin. He could not wait to meet Remus again for the train ride to Hogwarts tomorrow. He felt silly, but it was suddenly possible that maybe, just maybe, the new school would not turn out so bad, after all.

***

Severus got to King's Cross station forty-five minutes early the next day, but it seemed like he was not nearly early enough. Platform nine and three-quarters was already packed with wizards.

As Severus settled down on his seat in the train, he looked out the window to study the students milling about outside -- the younger ones bidding last minute farewells to their family, the older ones horsing around with friends they had not seen all summer. Unlike them, Severus had gone straight into the train. His mother had left after sending him off through the barrier between platforms nine and ten, and he saw no need to stand around outside looking lost and alone.

He had kept an eye out for Remus as he dragged his trunk through the train, looking for a place to sit. There was a group of what looked like first years clustered in one of the middle compartments, watching a boy do funny magic tricks, but Severus was uncomfortable in crowds. He moved on until he reached the compartment at the end of the train, which, in his experience, was usually empty.

Severus watched the people outside until the whistle blew, and only the parents and little children were left on the platform. He had not seen Remus outside, either. He was probably already in one of the compartments Severus had not looked into.

"Well, Cat, I suppose we're off to Hogwarts," he said, addressing the blue cat seated demurely on the seat opposite his. 

"Meowr," it answered, watching him with serious blue eyes.

When the train started moving, Severus debated with himself whether or not to go out and look for Remus. He did not want to come off as being too needy, but he did not want to start at another school without any friends again, either. It would be seven years before he leaves this one, and that was a long time to spend with just himself and his cat. "Severus, you git, go out there and meet people," he whispered to himself.

_Maybe later_, he thought, losing his nerve almost at once.

Just then, the compartment door slid open, and a familiar brown-haired head poked in.

"Oh! There you are. Been looking all over for you," Remus said, smiling. "Remember me? We met yesterday at the wand shop."

Severus nodded, using all his willpower to stop himself from jumping up and down and dancing around the small compartment with glee. "You're Remus," he said. As if he could forget!

"Hey, nice cat," Remus said. Severus's cat had jumped off the seat, and was rubbing against Remus's feet.

"Cat! You're shameless," Severus said, moving to take his cat from Remus.

"It's alright," Remus said, waving Severus away. "Hang on there, I'll go get my stuff." He took Cat and plopped her back on the seat. "Uh, if it's okay if I sit here, that is," he added with an embarrassed grin. "Seeing as this compartment is quite filled," he said playfully, gesturing at the empty seats.

Severus smiled. "Hmm. I don't know.... I'm sure Cat wouldn't mind sharing her seat with you," he said.

"Meowr," Cat said, jumping off the seat to rub against Remus's feet again. Remus laughed.

"Need help with your trunk?" Severus asked.

"Actually, yes, I do need help with my things," Remus said, scratching his head, "Mum tends to go overboard packing."

The boys were huffing and puffing when, at last, they managed to stack the last of Remus's trunks on a corner.

"You weren't fibbing when you said your Mum packed too much," Severus said, wheezing, "there must be enough in those trunks to last you all seven years of school."

Remus laughed. "Sorry about that. My clothes tend to get worn out faster than normal."

Severus wanted to ask why that was, but the door slid open once again. Two boys entered, saying hello to Remus and asking him if he brought any chocolates. Remus passed out a handful of chocolates from one of his pockets, and introduced the two boys to Severus: the pudgy, pasty-faced one was called Peter; the taller boy with golden curls was Anthony. Remus said he had met them at Diagon Alley the other day as well.

At first, Severus tried to join in the conversation, but there was only so much he can say about The Magic Lanterns and Herman's Hermits (he could not even tell one Rock n' Troll band from the next). Finding himself bored and out of place in the group, he excused himself finally, saying he was hungry, and squeezed out with his cat in tow.

It did not take long for him to find the food trolley. He was not really hungry, but he bought several boxes of Chocolate Frogs (for Remus, who was probably running out of his chocolate supply by now), a couple of boxes Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, and some sweetcakes. He considered finding another compartment to hide in for the time being, but decided to just return to his. There would not be any more empty compartments, anyway.

He was balancing his sweets and keeping an eye on Cat, so he did not see the large boy barreling towards him until it was too late.

"Watch out, Nancy-boy!" 

Severus heard the warning just a split second before a large weight crashed onto him and sent him sprawling to the floor. His chocolates and pastries were flung everywhere. 

"Oops. Sorry," the boy said, leaning lazily on the wall with his arms folded across his chest. He did not sound sorry at all. He did not offer to help Severus get up, either.

Another boy arrived at the scene, also at a run. "Give me back my glasses, you useless git," he said.

The bully whirled around to face the other boy. "Not before you admit you're in love with that green-eyed girl," he teased. 

"Oh, quit fooling around, dogface." 

"Lily and James, floating on the Bree, K-I-S-S---"

"Now you're _really_ gonna get it," the one apparently called James said, snatching his glasses from the bully and lightly bapping him over the head with his wand. They continued to horse around, unmindfully stepping on some of Severus's Chocolate Frogs.

It took several moments before James seemed to notice Severus. He turned to him, and asked, "Do you need any help, boy?"

"Yeah, do you need any help, _Nancy-boy_?" the bully piped in. Both boys burst into explosive laughter.

_"Sorry, I don't talk to disembodied heads," Severus answered, looking down at the two. The boys looked at each other, saw each other's heads rolling on the floor, and screamed._

_So, who's laughing now?_

"...I think he's gone mental," the bully said, bringing Severus back from his own thoughts. Severus shook his head furiously, but did not speak. He stood up, picked up as many of the sweets as he could carry, and walked away. He was shaking with a cold rage, angry not only with the boys, but also with himself, for being such a pushover.

_Someday, no one can do this to me_, he thought_. Someday. And those bloody sods better watch their backs…_

***

When Severus got back to his compartment, Remus was alone. "Here," he said, dumping the sweets unceremoniously onto the boy's lap. He sat down heavily, and faced the window.

"Hey, what happened to you?" Remus asked.

"Nothing," Severus replied, hoping the other boy would let up. He was not in the mood for people at that moment.

"Okaaay," Remus said slowly, "Well, how about some chocolates, then? They help cheer me up, when I'm feeling down."

"Oh? Weren't they supposed to take away your nervousness?" Severus snapped, still refusing to look at Remus.

"Well, yes. That, too. They also help me cure my headaches, study for tests, tame blue cats," -- Severus could feel Remus moving closer -- "AND, they help me make my friends smile," Remus finished, playfully dangling Chocolate Frogs in front of Severus's nose.

Severus lasted a full second trying to maintain his stony face, before his laughter exploded to the surface. _Damn the boy_, he thought, clutching at his sides to control his laughing fits. "Fine, then!" he said with mock irritability, plucking a Frog from Remus's hand.

They were opening up the last pack of sweets when the whistle blew, signaling their arrival at the Hogsmeade station.

***

Next Chapter: The Sorting Hat, giant mollusks, bullies, giant mollusks, some Remus POV, and more of the ever-popular giant mollusks.


	2. A Branching of Paths

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. 

Author's Notes: This is for my sister, Jade, who (still) hates Sirius Black (and now, post-OotP, also James Potter) with a passion. Also, smooches to Kerstie for being a patient (albeit unwilling) sounding board for my plot bunnies. Thanks for reading. Comments, criticisms, suggestions, even flames, are very much appreciated. ;)

**Metamorphoses**

**Chapter 2: A Branching of Paths**

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Why not?"

"My brother said there's a giant octopus in there."

"Ha-ha. Very funny, Anthony. Like I'll actually believe that."

"Yeah? And I see both your hands are now back _inside_ the boat. Go on, stick them back out, if you really don't believe me…"

It seemed to Severus like he had been listening to the two boys' constant banter for hours. Anthony and Peter had latched on to Remus ever since they got off the train, and Severus had no other recourse but to follow them into a boat. It was either that, or get in a boat with complete strangers, or worse, the bullies (who turned out to be first years themselves). Not that this idiotic chatter was that much better than being bullied. He was barely containing his impulse to throw the two boys over the side, into the lake.

Remus was not any help, either. He had lapsed into an uneasy silence from the moment they had exited the train. Now, he was resolutely staring at his shoes.

"Hey, Remus," Severus whispered, tugging on the boy's sleeve to get his attention. 

Remus remained unmoving. He sat hunched beside Severus, his forearms resting on his thighs, hands tightly clasped on his knees. If he heard Severus, he did not give any indication. Were it not for the occasional blinking of Remus's eyes, Severus would have thought he was petrified.

"Nervous?" Severus tried once more. "Too bad we don't have any more chocolates left, huh?"

"…"

He considered tugging at Remus's sleeve more violently, but decided against it. Maybe the boy was afraid of boats. Or lakes. Or giant octopuses. Or maybe he was just trying to block out the others' inane talk, like Severus was. 

Giving up trying to coax Remus into conversation, Severus turned to study the lake. Its silky surface, barely rippled by their boats, perfectly reflected the night sky. The moon was only a sliver, faintly illuminating the world -- glossing over its grace, but hiding all of its flaws. Their boat was headed to what he supposed was the Hogwarts castle, a dark shape haloed in soft yellow light, standing atop a small mountain at the other side of the lake.

Severus felt the boat rock, and saw Anthony and Peter leaning over the side, scrambling to get a better view of the lake. They were talking in hushed, excited voices. Clicking his tongue irritably, Severus turned to face the lake once more, in a vain attempt to forget about the two. Disappointingly, he found that their boat had entered a tunnel, which had completely cut off his view of the sky.

"Er, Severus?" he heard Remus say.

Severus blinked, surprised, and looked at the boy sitting beside him. Remus was waving one of his hands in front of his face, and it was with a start that Severus discovered he was still holding on to the boy's sleeve.

"Oh, sorry," he said, releasing the sleeve quickly, as if burned. But Remus grabbed Severus's hand back and led him to the front of the boat, where the others were already getting off.

"We must be directly under the castle," Remus said, turning around slowly, his wide eyes seeming to study every square inch of the cave. It looked like a natural hollow carved underneath the heavy gray rock, but for the large marble steps at the end. Remus smiled at Severus, his eyes glinting with obvious excitement.

_He's back to his old self_, Severus thought, relieved.

Anthony and Peter crowded against them, almost tripping over each other's feet in their mad rush to get off the boat. Peter was vigorously rubbing his wet hand on his robes. "There was something slimy in there, I'm not kidding!" 

"Did you see it? Do you think it was the giant octopus? I heard it once bit a student's hand off," Anthony said, looking furtively back at the lake.

Severus rolled his eyes. He could not believe they were still on the topic of giant octopuses.

"What are you girls screaming on about?" a voice loathsomely familiar to Severus drawled. Even without looking, Severus could imagine the cruel smirk on the speaker's face. He shook his head. _Two more victims_, he thought. This was not going to be good.

"Gi-giant octopus. In the l-l-lake," Anthony stuttered, obviously intimidated by the boy as well. Peter's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. He looked like he wished he were anywhere else but here beside his friend, in full view of the gathering crowd.

"Giant octopus, eh, _Nancy-boy_? Bit you with its jelly teeth, then, didn't it?"

Several girls near them giggled. _Figures. Mr. Bully got himself some fans_, Severus thought.

"Actually, it's a giant squid. I saw a drawing of it in _Hogwarts: A History_," Remus's soft voice cut in.

Severus, who was just about to walk away, nearly tripped on his own feet. Remus! Can anyone be THIS naïve? He looked back, and saw the bully take a step towards Remus, brows lifted, one side of his mouth curled upwards in a predatory smirk. Anthony took advantage of the distraction to run away, dragging Peter with him. Severus grabbed at the back of Remus's robes, intending to pull him away as well, but it was too late. 

"A giant squid?" the bully asked Remus, flicking stray strands of his dark hair with an arrogant sideways flip of the head. 

"Hey, hey, who saw the giant squid?" said another boy who just walked over to them. 

_Oh great_, Severus thought disgustedly. _James, just the person we needed to add to the mix. Now the Dynamic Duo is complete. _

Positioning himself beside the still-oblivious Remus, Severus took hold of the wand in the pocket of his robes. He would wait for a chance to drag Remus to safety, but just in case no opportunities arose, he was going to turn James and his friend into frogs. If he can figure out how. He took a deep breath, ready for the worst. 

"I remember my dad telling me about that once. It's there to protect the lake, I think," James said, scratching his head, further messing up his already tousled black hair.

"Your dad's SEEN it?" the larger bully asked, turning to face his friend.

_This is our chance!_ Severus pulled insistently on Remus's robes.

But the boy would not budge. "Did he say where it came from?" Remus asked, his voice thick with curiosity.

_Oh, damn the boy!_

"I don't think my dad's seen it," James said. "A headmaster before their time is said to have acquired it from somewhere in the Pacific. The Marianas, or something."

"Far out!" Remus said.

"Yeah," James's friend agreed, nodding his head and smiling, finally, at Remus.

Severus released Remus's robes, and found himself being swept away as other students flocked around the three, wanting to hear more about the giant squid. He released his breath explosively, thankful for Remus's stroke of good luck. Although he had to wonder if it WAS just luck. The boy, it seemed to him, had an unbelievable knack for getting people to like him.

"Alrigh' firs' years, follow me! Up yeh go into the castle. Mind yer step! Firs' years!" a booming voice announced. It belonged to a gigantic man who was motioning them to the flight of marble stairs at the end of the tunnel.

Severus followed the crowd, trying not to gawk at the huge man. He almost immediately found himself flanked on both sides by Anthony and Peter. _Remus's shadows_, he thought, not entirely succeeding in forcing down his scowl.

"Which House do you think you'll get sorted into?" Anthony was asking Peter.

"My dad's Ravenclaw, mum was in Gryffindor. 'Expect I'll end up in one of the two," Peter answered.

"I hope we get in the same house."

"Yeah. And Remus, and Severus, too."

Severus grunted. He tried to extricate himself several times from between the two. Sometimes he walked faster, sometimes slower, but they managed to match him stride for stride each time. He was just about to tell them off when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

Slowing his pace, he glanced back and found Remus grinning at him, closely followed by the two bullies, still, apparently, talking about the ever-popular squid. Predictably, the two shadows immediately disappeared from Severus's side when they caught sight of Remus's companions.

"I thought I lost you," Remus said, his eyes twinkling.

Severus smiled apologetically. "Er--," was all he could say, since he was trying to remain unnoticed. Thankfully, he was, at the moment, invisible to James and his loudmouthed friend.

When they reached the top of the stairs, they found the other students standing expectantly outside an enormous door.

"Hey, Remus, over here!" Peter called out. He paled when he saw the bullies look up at him. "Uh… I think I'll just catch up with you later," he mumbled, scampering quickly away.

Remus scratched his head, looking confused. "I wonder what that's about. Anyway, I guess we have to wait here until a teacher comes for us," he said.

"Seems like," the big bully agreed. "Your name's Remus, then? Mine's Sirius. Sirius Black."

"Oh, wow. Another Dead Greek Person name. Is it destiny, do you think?" Remus said, smiling.

"No, it's Roman," Severus whispered absently. He could not explain the sharp freezing sensation that started in the middle of his chest and spread branch-like all over his body when he heard Remus say those words to the other boy. 

_Is it destiny, do you think?_

_He was mine first_, he found himself thinking. Severus shook his head, surprised at the unbidden thought. 

"I'm James," the other boy introduced himself.

"And this is Severus," Remus said when Severus remained silent. 

"Hey, I didn't know you were friends with little Nancy-boy!" Sirius said, apparently noticing Severus for the first time. Grinning cheekily, he placed himself between Remus and Severus and put an arm on each of the boys' shoulders. 

Severus shuddered. He was not used to being touched by anyone, and he did not intend to start with this thug. Severus moved a few steps away, pretending to look for someone from the crowd behind them. When he looked back, he found himself well outside the tight circle the three boys had just formed. They were laughing animatedly at something Severus did not catch. 

_He was mine first_, Severus thought, glaring at James and Sirius.

_But he won't be yours last_, a cruel voice inside him mocked.

***

"Black, Sirius."

Sirius strutted to the platform and put on the Sorting Hat. 

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted. Cheers echoed from the Gryffindor table as they welcomed the newest addition to their House.

A few minutes earlier, a female teacher with square spectacles, who introduced herself as Professor McGonagall, had come out of the enormous doors at the top of the marble staircase. She brought the first years into the Great Hall, where the other students were arrayed at four long tables. She led the first years to the aisle, told them about the four Hogwarts Houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Ravenclaw), and introduced them to the Sorting Hat, which would place each of them into a House, depending on his abilities.

"Which House do you want to be sorted into?" Remus whispered to Severus, as 'Bradford, Hilda' took her turn on the platform. 

_Anywhere but Gryffindor_, Severus thought, still glaring at Sirius from under his lowered lashes. 

"I don't know. Maybe Ravenclaw," he said aloud instead. One of Remus's shadows (Abercrombie, Anthony) had already been sorted into Ravenclaw. "You?" he whispered back.

Remus shrugged. "I just want to get into the same House you'll be in." 

When Remus's name was called, he squeezed Severus's arm with cold, trembling fingers, and whispered, "Wish me luck," before walking to the front.

After a few seconds, the hat announced, "GRYFFINDOR!" 

Severus's heart gave a huge thump that he was sure everyone heard. With a great effort, he managed to calm his breathing, but he could still feel his hands fisted at his sides, clutching at the fabric of his robes.

"I hope I get into Gryffindor, too," Peter whispered to him.

"And I care, because…?" Severus growled, thankful for the opportunity to dump his mood on someone.

Peter squeaked, and scurried away, looking injured.

Severus stood stonily as a succession of students was called. Both 'Pettigrew, Peter' and 'Potter, James' had been sorted into Gryffindor. At their table, Sirius, James and Remus sat in a cluster, talking easily, as if they had known each other for years and were just catching up on goings-on during summer. Peter sat beside Remus, occasionally nodding at something one of the other three said. Just a few students were left on the aisle with Severus. His turn was approaching. Quincy, Slytherin. Quirrell and Robertson, Hufflepuff. Rogers, Saint-Claire, Sheppard…

"Snape, Severus."

Severus glanced at the Gryffindor table on his way to the platform. Sirius and James had looked up when his name was called, and both stared at him with unblinking eyes before bowing their heads and whispering to each other. _I hope they're not planning anything nasty, _Severus thought_._ Severus saw Remus trying to get his attention, but he walked on, pretending not to have noticed.

His last thought before jamming the Sorting Hat onto his head was, _Anywhere but Gryffindor_.

"Oh, don't worry, I wasn't going to put you in Gryffindor," a small voice inside the hat said. "You have ambition, and a great drive to succeed, no matter how difficult the situation. You're bound to do well in – SLYTHERIN!"

Slytherin. He vaguely heard the cheers that arose from the Slytherins as he leadenly made his way to their table.

"Welcome to Slytherin," their House Prefect greeted him formally. The boy's cool tone, however, coupled with an aristocratic narrow face and cold lead-gray eyes, did not make Severus feel welcome at all. Severus felt like the older boy had sized him up, and found him lacking. Shaken, Severus chose a seat farthest from the Prefect, and sat still until the last first year was sorted.

Severus had to use all his willpower to stop himself from looking at the Gryffindor table. He felt lost, but he refused to appear _needy_. He did not need Remus. He was used to relying on himself, wasn't he? He can, too, make friends in this House. The Prefect was just a fluke; there were surely other friendly people in Slytherin as well. In fact, the girl beside him was already trying to draw him into conversation. What was her name again? Moira, yes. She was telling him about her family's collection of crystals. With a topic as interesting as crystals, who would want to look at a group of dorky boys at the other side of the Hall?

***

For the millionth time, Remus glanced at the Slytherin table, hoping to catch Severus's attention. He wondered what the Slytherin girl and Severus were talking about; it seemed to interest Severus very much. Remus had to admit that he did not know a lot about Severus, and had no idea what made him tick. The boy volunteered little information about himself, if at all.

That was why Remus had been genuinely looking forward to getting to know Severus better, and had been extremely disappointed when the Sorting Hat put the boy in Slytherin. Severus had been the first person his age (actually, the first person outside of his family) Remus had any friendly contact with. Remus had been home-schooled, and his parents seldom let him leave the house for fear of other people finding out about his secret. He was hesitant, at first, to talk to Severus at Ollivander's (he was so nervous, in fact, that he crammed ten pieces of chocolate squares in his mouth and tried to chew them all at once). Looking back, he realized he was glad the first person he talked to had been Severus. He was close-mouthed, yes, and difficult to draw out. But because of this, he had also not been too prying and inquisitive, and was content to accept whatever Remus chose to reveal to him. Remus had met two other boys later that day, but they were so full of questions that Remus had to be constantly on his toes, lest he say more about himself than it was safe to.

Remus sighed. Severus still had not once looked at the Gryffindor table. If Remus did not know any better, he would have thought that the boy was deliberately not looking their way. But that was impossible. The girl probably had very interesting stories to tell. Of course, Remus had interesting things to tell, too, except most of HIS stories had to be kept hidden from anyone but his closest relations.

His attention was abruptly brought back to his side of the Hall when a rain of golden forks dropped on his head. Sirius had apparently been magically balancing nine forks on the tip of his nose (to great applause), and was just about to add the tenth when a giggly girl caused him to lose his balance. 

Sirius grabbed another handful of forks, jumped onto the table, and tiptoed theatrically towards James and Peter, who were in the middle of discussing the Chudley Cannons and, therefore, totally oblivious to the commotion. He shrugged impishly at his rapt audience before lifting his arms into the air, tipping his hands over so that the forks would drop on the two boys' heads.

"Gah!" Peter screamed, falling off his chair.

"Get back here, you bloody bugger," James shouted, getting up to chase Sirius, who had escaped to the other end of the table.

Remus laughed so hard he almost forgot that, just a moment before, he had been brooding about Severus. It was with a tremendous effort that he managed to control his fits when the Headmaster called the Hall to order for the Start of Term announcements.

***

_Looks like they're having fun_, Severus thought, his faced screwed up as though he had just eaten a green bitterberry. Everyone's attention had been riveted to the ruckus at the Gryffindor table, the cause of which were Sirius, Remus, James, Peter, and a bunch of golden eating utensils.

"Stupid Gryffindors," a fourth year Slytherin remarked acidly.

Severus looked around, and realized that the only people not amused by the boys' antics were the ones at his table. He raised a brow at Moira. "What's going on?" he asked, indicating the other Slytherins' frozen demeanor.

Moira shrugged. "Oh. Old House rivalry. My parents were both Slytherin, you know. They say it has always been Slytherin vs. Gryffindor since the beginning of time. They hate us, we hate them… I thought you knew, you looked like a thundercloud, glaring at them a few seconds ago."

Severus felt the freezing sensation in his chest return.

_Is it destiny, do you think?_

Yes it was, come to think. Just not the kind of destiny he wished for.

***

"First years, please follow me," the Slytherin Prefect announced, gathering the new Slytherins with him. The Welcoming Feast was over, and the Prefects were supposed to show the new students to their respective dormitories.

"Ooh, let's go Severus," Moira said, her curly auburn hair flouncing on her head as she hastily jumped up from the table. "I hope our dorms are nice."

Severus was just getting up to follow her when he heard Remus shout his name. 

"Hey, Severus, wait up!" Remus was running towards him, followed closely by Peter.

Severus could not help smiling. He did not want to admit it, but he was glad (and a little proud) that Remus singled him out and wanted to talk to him. 

"Oh, look, Rodolphus. Ickle Gryffindorks," Severus heard a female voice behind him say. 

His smile faltered. 

_Slytherin vs. Gryffindor… They hate us, we hate them…_

"Oy, Remus! Hurry up, or we'll be left behind!" James shouted at Remus, who was still only halfway to the Slytherin table, having had trouble squeezing between all the students hurrying to their dorms.

"Are you friends with them, Severus?" Moira whispered to his ear. Her voice sounded tinny and apprehensive.

Severus could see Remus still struggling to get through the crowd. Peter was frantically tugging at his robes, trying to drag him to where the Gryffindor first years were already starting to exit the Hall. James and Sirius were waving their hands at him and calling him back, casting dark looks at Severus while they were at it.

_Destiny._

Severus faced Moira. "No, I just met them on the train," he answered, turning his back on Remus, and, without once looking back, followed the Slytherin Prefect to their dormitory.

***

Next: Dark Arts, mysteries, butterflies, and the beginnings of a real plot.


	3. Wings

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. 

Author's Notes: For my sister, Jade, who just took her Vet Boards and will now, hopefully, have enough time to read this. Also for Kerstie, who always listens to my stories, but is yet to be converted into the magical world of reading.

**Metamorphoses**

**Chapter 3: Wings**

It was not hard for Severus to avoid Remus and his new Gryffindor friends during the next few days. Their class had been kept busy with homework -- their teachers had not been stingy with those, even if they had only just started their first term at school. He had caught a few glimpses of Remus at mealtimes, and sometimes in the Library, but Remus had been busy with other things, and Severus was not sure if Remus even saw him. 

Severus's conscience had been nagging at him ever since he snubbed Remus at the Great Hall after the Welcoming Feast. He wanted to apologize, but had not gathered enough courage to face Remus yet. He was afraid of how Remus would act towards him after what he did, especially now that Remus had spent considerable time with Hogwarts' new resident bullies, Sirius and James.

Thankfully, Severus was spared from dwelling on the situation too much. He had brought three antique books with him to school, and they had so intrigued his new roommate, Seth Avery, that the boy had taken it upon himself to abduct Severus every free time they had. Seth dragged him off to the Library, or their dormitory, to pore over the books with him, as Severus was not keen on lending them out. They were part of his father's treasured collection of ancient volumes, and had been given to Severus as a gift when he got accepted to Hogwarts. ("These will serve to complement your studies," his father had said at the time, looking at Severus as if he needed all the complementing he can get. "Take care of them well. They are much older than you." He did not have to add "And more valuable," for Severus to get the exact gist of what he was really saying). 

"Get a load of this," Seth said, pointing at an illustration of a huge cauldron with rats, twigs, and what was probably a wizard, in a configuration that made Severus's stomach turn. "I didn't realize this was even possible!"

They were at a secluded corner of the Library, hidden from Madam Pince's view by the towering History of Magic shelf, but Severus still cast a glance around to make sure that she had not heard Seth's outburst.

"Yes, well. It's just making me hungry. What time is it, anyway?" Severus whispered, feigning disinterest. The most revolting things were always the ones that fascinated Seth. And although Severus thought he was fairly thick-skinned, it was apparently not thick enough for some of Seth's morbid ideas.

Seth looked at his bronze pocket watch, which looked even more antiquated than Severus's books. "It's almost lunch. Come on, let's go to the Hall. I'm a bit hungry, myself." He gathered his things and stood, walking to the doors without looking behind, seemingly fully confident that Severus would be right behind him.

Severus rolled his eyes, stuffed the books in his bag, and followed Seth out of the Library. In his hurry, the underside of his bag snagged on a tusk of the boar-shaped gargoyle guarding the entrance. It ripped open, scattering all of his things to the floor.

"Drat," Severus said, frowning at the mess. "You go ahead. I have to bring these books up to our room first. I'll catch up with you at the Hall," he said to Seth.

"Won't you need help with those?" Seth asked. 

Severus shook his head, squatting on the floor to gather his things. He could feel Seth watching him, probably deciding whether to lend a hand or not. 

"If you're sure," Seth eventually said. "But don't be too long. I'll save you a seat." 

Severus nodded distractedly; he was wondering how he could carry all of his things up to his room with the gaping hole on his bag. He collected them into a pile, but small items (like his inkbottles and Magic White-Out) kept rolling away. He could still feel Seth standing behind him, and he finally decided to accept the boy's offer to help. Severus twisted to face him, a sheepish smile on his face. "Hey, I think I need your help after all…" 

He stopped in mid-sentence, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. Seth _had_ gone, and the person standing behind him was --

"Well, well. Interesting books you seem to have here, Severus _Snape_," Sirius drawled, looming over Severus, his mouth curling at the last word, as if it had a bitter taste he wanted to spit out. He picked up Severus's volume of _Forbidden Spells: A Theoretical Discourse_ by Tituba Mather, and showed the cover to his friend James, who had then bent over and snatched Severus's other books as well.

As James straightened up, he shuffled through the books. "_20th Century Approach to_ _Mediaeval Blood Magic_… _Moste Potente Potions_… Why, Severus, are you perhaps attending a special DARK ARTS COURSE that the rest of us aren't?" James asked, his voice loud enough to be heard by every student in the corridor.

_No, no, no, no… I'm having a nightmare. This isn't really happening_, Severus thought desperately. He thought he had gotten away from them, after being ignored for several days, but it looked like they did not forget too easily. Feeling extremely vulnerable scrunched down on the floor with the two looking down on him, Severus quickly stashed his things in his broken bag and stood. A few small items fell off, but Severus ignored them. He clutched the bag to his chest, in part to prevent it from bursting open and sending all of his things to the floor again, in part as an involuntary reflex to armor himself against the onslaught that were Sirius and James.

Many students stopped what they were doing to watch the scene.

"Hand them back," Severus said, holding out a hand to the two. He tried his best to keep his face blank, but was irritated to see that his hand was shaking visibly. He snatched his hand back to his chest, clutching at his bag tightly. "Hand them back, or…or…"

"Or _what_, Nancy-boy? Will you whip out your ickle wand and give us a good curse?" Sirius challenged.

"Wouldn't put it past him," James agreed, nodding and surveying the audience that had gathered to watch them.

"Know more curses than most seventh years, don't you, _Big, Bad Nancy-boy_?"

Severus's fear disappeared, slowly replaced by a boiling anger, as their accusations began to sink in. Curses? _Dark Arts_? What were they trying to imply? How dare they? They hardly even knew him! If there were any evil in this place, it was them!

Taking deep breaths, Severus slowly lifted his chin up so that his nose was angled to the ceiling, and gave the boys a plastic smile. "Yes, sure. Of course, since I've just got my first real wand less than a week ago, I've had to cast evil hexes with my _training wand_ all through _primary school_," he said, in a low, clipped voice. 

Tentative scattered laughter sounded in the corridor. Sirius's face colored, but James only calmly stared at Severus, his eyes unblinking behind his glasses, making him look like an owl studying its prey.

James took an insolent step forward. "Considering your background, Severus –"

"What's going on here?" a loud, authoritative voice spoke. 

When Severus looked up, he saw that the voice belonged to the Slytherin Prefect, whose name he had since learned was Lucius Malfoy. He was marching towards them, his expression as pleased as a cat that just caught three mice in the act of stealing cheese. Their audience slowly disappeared upon his arrival at the scene, leaving the four of them alone.

Lucius halted in front of them, turning so sharply that his platinum, chin-length locks spread like a lady's fan flicking open, before settling back down on his head. His steely gaze flashed briefly to Severus before lingering on James and Sirius.

"Well?" he asked the two.

Sirius shrugged and smiled at Lucius, his eyes wide and liquid, as though he did not have any idea what the older boy was talking about. James, who managed to maintain his calm and unreadable expression, arranged the controversial books in a neat stack on his arms and held them out to Severus.

"We were just helping him pick up his books," he announced in a clear voice, patting Severus lightly on one shoulder. "We'll see you around. Be careful next time, okay?" he said to Severus, smiling angelically, before walking away with his friend.

Lucius stared at their backs, his mouth twisted in obvious dislike. Severus decided to go on his way before the Prefect's freezing gaze landed on him, too.

***

Severus mulled over the events in his head as he hurried to the dungeons, where the Slytherin dormitories were. He was now more puzzled than angered, trying to understand why Sirius and James attacked him like that. And it _was_ an attack, rather than their usual attention-seeking bullying. Severus was quite certain that he was not the only one who noticed the difference. The only time Severus heard their audience laugh was when he made the sarcastic remark about his training wand; and even this was subdued, as though they laughed only to acknowledge his wit, and not because they felt any kind of enjoyment at what was happening.

He thought back on every incident that he came into contact with the two, thinking perhaps that he had done something that offended them; but he could not remember doing anything, or acting in any way, that could make them single him out for this kind of treatment. And what exactly had they meant with their Dark Arts comment, and 'Severus's background?' What background was that? Why would they think he knew any curses? Just because he carried those books? It was not like Severus was the only student who had access to adult material. Why, just the other day, Madame Pince confiscated illustrated volumes of Sex Magick from a group of Gryffindors! Surely, those books were worse than the ones Severus's father gave him.

_Hypocritical buggers, the lot of them,_ Severus thought. He wished he _had_ known some curses, though. He did not miss the implied threat in James's parting words, and he vowed never again to be caught unprepared. Besides, he would just love to make James and Sirius suffer a bit. Thoughts of Sirius's thick hair going up in flames, and James's eyes popping out of their sockets began running through Severus's head, bringing a satisfied smirk on his face. 

"SEVERUS!" a voice suddenly blasted into his ear, almost causing him to let go of the bag clutched to his chest. It was just then that he became aware of two boys flanking him. And the one on his right, the boy who screamed at his ear, was Remus. 

Severus stopped walking, and carefully lifted a finger to poke Remus between the eyes. He wanted to make sure Remus was not just a vision caused by his earlier psychological trauma.

"Ouch, hey!" Remus said.

Severus smiled then, joyfully shoving James and Sirius to the very back of his mind. Remus, here! And not looking angry with him at all!

"We've been walking with you for almost the whole length of the corridor now, and you didn't even notice!" Peter said. He was the one walking on Severus's left side.

"Remus, Peter," Severus greeted them. "Many thanks for blasting my eardrum to pieces, by the way."

Remus laughed. 

_Remus laughs at every little thing._ Severus had almost forgotten all about that.

"We were planning on having lunch by the lake. Want to come with us?" Remus asked, supplementing his invitation with a sharp tug on Severus's sleeve.

"It'll be fun, Severus! See, we already took some food from the Hall," Peter piped in, shoving a wicker basket in front of Severus's nose.

Smells of warm bread and something roasted wafted from the basket, making Severus's mouth water. If Remus's presence had not already made the picnic impossible to refuse, these delicious food-smells surely did.

Remus was looking at Severus with a hopeful expression, still not relinquishing his hold on his sleeve.

"Er… is it alright if I bring a friend along? Seth Avery – one of my roommates -- he's waiting for me at the Great Hall," Severus asked.

Remus's grip on Severus's sleeve relaxed, and his face brightened considerably at Severus's acceptance. Severus was taken aback by his reaction. Had Remus actually been afraid that Severus would turn him down? 

"Sure! The more, the merrier," Remus said. "Meet us near the flutterby bushes; we just need to run to our dorms for a sec." 

"And try to score more food!" Peter called out, as he and Remus ran to the Gryffindor Tower.

***

A few minutes later, Severus walked out of the castle carrying a paper bag filled with chocolate mint creams and sugar nuggets. He took a roundabout route to get to their meeting place, giving wide berth to the newly-planted Willow, which was currently whomping at the rocks James and Sirius were lobbing at it. 

_Stupid gits_, Severus thought, silently cheering on the Willow to land a blow (or ten) to the two boys harassing it. He hurried on to the flutterby bushes, where Remus and Peter were waving chicken legs frantically at him.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting, I had to drop my stuff off at the dungeons first," Severus said, throwing his paper bag to Peter and sitting gingerly down on the slightly damp grass.

"Here," Remus said, handing him a roasted chicken leg and a slice of corn bread. "Where's your friend?"

"He was already done eating when I got to the Great Hall," Severus answered, pretending to be concentrating on taking huge bites off his chicken. Seth had not wanted to go when he learned that Severus was having lunch with Gryffindors, but Severus did not intend to tell Remus that.

"Too bad. Maybe next time, then," Remus said.

"James and Sirius couldn't make it either," Peter added. "We went up to the Tower to fetch them, but they said they had some things they needed to do." 

"Ha! They're over there, entertaining the masses by tormenting the Whomping Willow," Severus informed them, nodding his head to the general direction of the tree.

"Groovy!" Peter gushed, craning his head to catch a glimpse. Severus forced down the scowl that was threatening to appear on his face.

Remus stayed silent, but his brows were creased in a frown. _So, it seems Remus hasn't taken to idolizing his popular friends, unlike almost everyone else in school, _Severus mused_. _Severus wanted to hug him.

"Oh! I almost forgot. I got this from the Tower as well," Remus said, twisting around to reach for something behind him. It turned out to be Severus's sleeping blue cat.

"Cat!" Severus exclaimed. "I'd been wondering where he goes off to when he disappears." Severus took the cat from Remus and placed it gently on his own lap. It mewled once, but otherwise did not show any signs of waking.

Remus tickled Cat's belly. "She follows me around sometimes. This morning, I woke up at my bed and found her cuddled by my feet."

Severus swatted his cat tenderly on the ear. "Traitor," he whispered to it jokingly. It was highly unusual for his cat to show affection to anyone else, but then again, his cat had never met anyone like Remus before, either.

"I didn't know you liked cats," Peter said between gulps of carrot juice. He tried to tempt Cat with a bit of chicken, but she did not even open her eyes. Throwing the untouched chicken to the lake, Peter said, "Speaking of, have you had Professor McGonagall yet? She can turn herself into a tabby! With spectacle-markings and everything!"

Severus nodded enthusiastically, nibbling on a piece of bread. "We had Transfigurations yesterday. I can't believe an Animagus is teaching in our school! Who would have thought something that neat could happen here?"

"Yeah, it's _so far out_, isn't it?" Remus added, straightening up, his eyes as wide as they could possibly go.

"Oh, oh, oh!" Peter gushed, bobbing up and down, "Do you think she'll teach us how to become Animagi? Because I was thinking I'd want to turn into something that can fly, like maybe an eagle or something." He spread his arms wide and flapped them around like wings. 

Severus thought he looked more like an earthbound penguin than an eagle in flight. Quelling his urge to laugh, Severus thought about what he wanted to transform into. "I think I'd prefer to change into something nocturnal. An owl maybe, but then I'm not really good at flying… Probably a wolf…"

"A wolf!" Remus said, his grin getting even wider. "Really?"

"Of course, really! Who wouldn't want the ability to roam over the forest, under the moonlight, every night?"

"I guess I hadn't thought of that. But wouldn't people be scared of you?"

"Why would they? If I met someone like that, I wouldn't be scared. Besides, who cares? Wolves are _so far out_," Severus said, imitating Remus's elongated way of saying the last phrase.

Remus smiled. "Yeah," he said slowly, a satisfied look on his face.

They lounged lazily on the grass, smiling at each other and nibbling contentedly on chocolate mint creams and sugar nuggets. 

"I'm beginning to think Transfigurations will be my favorite course," Remus said, lying down on his back, using his arms for a pillow.

"Mine, too," Peter agreed.

"What's your favorite so far, Severus?"

Severus hesitated before answering. "Er… Potions," he said, his voice sounding apologetic even to his ears. He was aware that most students considered Potions nerdy.

Remus levered himself up on one arm to look at Severus. "I see. Why Potions, then?"

Severus shrugged. As far back as he could remember, he had always enjoyed working with mixtures and draughts. Maybe he liked the unforgiving exactness of it. There was nothing remotely subjective, or biased, or vague, about Potions-making. 

"Well?" Remus prodded, still apparently waiting for an answer from Severus.

"Because I'm pretty good at it, I guess. I spoke with Professor Jigger yesterday, and he said he was thinking of giving me advanced Potions coursework next term." Severus tried to keep his voice from sounding too proud.

"Wow," Remus said.

"Yeah, wow. That was pretty cruel of him, giving you extra load," Peter said, his face scrunching up in disgust.

Remus looked at Severus and grinned as Severus rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I don't think it's all that uncommon, Peter," Remus said. "I heard our Defense teacher has been talking to a first year girl about special sessions on crystal protection charms. They're supposed to be really powerful." 

"That must be Moira," Severus said. "She's in Slytherin, too. You should see her wand -- it's pure clear crystal, and looks so fragile I keep expecting it to shatter at the simplest spell. Her family is heavily into crystals. Here, look, she even gave me this." Severus loosened the neck of his school robes to pull at a leather cord looped around his neck. Hanging from it was a clear, trapezoid-shaped crystal pendant, only slightly larger than a fingernail.

Remus sat up and moved closer to Severus, reaching out his hand to gently cradle the delicate-looking crystal. "What does it do?" he asked.

"Moira said it protects me from malignant spirits."

"Moira said that, huh?" Remus said, lifting his face up so that he was almost nose-to-nose with Severus, a wicked grin slowly spreading on his face. "Was that the girl you were chummy with during the Welcoming Feast?" 

"Oooh, Severus has a girlfriend," Peter said in a singsong voice, winking at Remus.

"Er— uh—," Severus stuttered, waving his hands in the air while shaking his head vigorously.

"It must have been love at first sight," Remus said, crossing his arms over his chest and nodding slowly.

"It's not like that—"

"Severus has a girlfriend…"

"And there you're already exchanging gifts. What did _you_ give her, Don Juan?"

"No, no, she also gave pendants to the other—"

"Severus has a girlfriend…"

"OH, SHUT UP," Severus said, taking a playful swipe at Peter's head. 

Rolling to his side to evade Severus, Peter crashed into a quivering flutterby bush. Some of its pale green leaves had gotten dislodged, floating over their heads in graceful arcs. 

Remus snatched one from the air before it could fall to the ground. "They look like pretty little butterflies, don't they?" he said. He studied the leaf closely, running a finger along the edges of its curved lobes. Severus fervently hoped it would make him forget about his teasing. 

"Hmm." Remus bounced the delicate leaf gently on the palm of his hand. He pulled out his wand, pointed it at the leaf and whispered, "_Wingardium Leviosa!"_ The leaf floated up and up, its two lobes fluttering in the air like real butterfly wings, in time with Remus's wand flicks. Severus found himself holding his breath; he thought it was the most magical thing he had ever seen.

Picking up another leaf from the ground, Severus used the same spell to levitate it towards Remus's leaf. Time seemed to stop as the leaves circled each other in the air, until a gust of wind blew them over the lake, and out of their sight.

Peter was on his feet, jumping around and clapping enthusiastically. "That was _groovy_, guys! Do it again! Do it again!"

Remus smiled at Severus. "Nah," he said, plopping himself back down on the grass.

Peter glanced at Severus, a pleading look on his eyes. Severus shrugged and started playing with Cat's nose.

Looking deflated, Peter lightly kicked at the flutterby leaves left on the ground. "No fair," he said, pouting.

"Want to see more, Peter?" Severus heard someone behind him say. Before he could turn around, the same voice shouted, "WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!" 

A heavy, hard object hit Severus on the side of his head, making his eyes water at the sudden explosion of pain. He had a fuzzy awareness of panic-stricken voices, Cat's venomous hissing, and something cool being pressed to his head; before a million fluttering butterflies crowded around his head, blocking his vision, turning his world to black.

***

Next: Secrets and hidden pasts: a sick aunt, broomstick flashbacks, buggy hexes.


End file.
